IPL 2025: Who is Zeeshan Ansari? All you need to know about SRH leg spinner

On Sunday, March 30, Zeeshan Ansari made an impression in his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut during the lopsided match between the Delhi Capitals (DC) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at Visakhapatnam.

The Sunrisers lost by seven wickets, but Ansari was outstanding with the ball, grabbing three wickets in the second innings to give his team a chance. SRH was unable to score more than 163 runs in 18.4 overs after choosing to bat first. The remainder of the SRH batsmen were unable to take advantage of favourable batting conditions, despite Aniket Verma’s outstanding 74 off 41 balls. Mitchell Starc was a standout for Delhi, finishing with 5/35 in 3.4 overs, which helped him win the Purple Cap.

Faf du Plessis’ scorching half-century gave the Delhi Capitals a fantastic start. Jake Fraser-McGurk, his fellow opener, received a few reprieves throughout their 81-run partnership. In the 10th over, Ansari finally gave SRH their first breakthrough when he dismissed du Plessis after the latter misplayed a slog towards mid-wicket. The dismissal was completed with a spectacular catch by Wiaan Mulder.

Before being removed off the final ball, Fraser-McGurk struck two fours and a six in the same over. He chipped a length ball around the middle-stump and it went straight back to the bowler, who made the catch without making any mistakes. Ansari hit a delivery down the leg-side in his subsequent over, dismissing KL Rahul, who attempted a sweep but failed to hit it.

At the end of his four-over stint, Ansari had taken three significant wickets while giving up 42 runs. Even though Delhi won easily with four overs remaining, the 25-year-old’s outstanding debut performance won him accolades from both fans and analysts.

Zeeshan Ansari: Who is he?

Ansari is a leg-spinner from Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow. His outstanding play in the second UP T20 league edition attracted the interest of the IPL teams. Ansari took 24 wickets for the Meerut Mavericks, finishing with the most in the competition. He contributed significantly to his team’s championship run.

Notably, in 2016, Ansari played for India in the U-19 World Cup. Ishan Kishan, Washington Sundar, and Rishabh Pant were among his colleagues. Ansari made his Uttar Pradesh first-class cricket debut in 2017, and he represented the state in his final game in 2020. In just five first-class matches for Uttar Pradesh, he has claimed 17 wickets. He was signed by SRH for INR 40 lakhs throughout the IPL 2025 mega-auction.

During the upcoming matches, Ansari would like to build on his impressive IPL start. The Sunrisers will play again on Thursday, April 3, at the Eden Gardens against the reigning champions, the Kolkata Knight Riders, in a rematch of the previous year’s championship game.